Sometime in late 1986, Mike Dillon, Gary Muller, and Matt Chamberlain were playing in Dallas-based band Zane Grey, who actually appeared on Star Search. They did not win, but Muller did get to touch Ed McMahon (specifically, his hand). Meanwhile, Steve Brand and Slavens were playing in a Denton band called the Gonemen. Dillon, Muller, and Chamberlain lived in the same Denton house as other members of the Gonemen, and when dissatisfaction with both groups began to appear, the idea for a new band was spawned.
The first Ten Hands rehearsal (documented on videotape) took place late 1986 in Denton. Shortly thereafter, Zane Grey's manager, Tony Johnson, accepted an offer to manage the fledgling band. For the first year, Ten Hands played mostly small venues in Denton and performed a weekly gig at the Prophet Bar, a seminal Deep Ellum club in Dallas. During this time, a studio recording was made and handmade cassettes were sold and distributed in and around the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton area.
Chamberlain and Dillon were already well-known in Denton as top players in the University of North Texas Jazz program, and interest in the band soon grew. It was also during this time that the New Bohemians were becoming a major draw in Dallas. It happened that several members of that band were friends with a few Ten Hands members, and ultimately, New Bohemians finagled some opening slots for Ten Hands at Deep Ellum's celebrated Club Dada. The Club Dada shows helped expose the band to a much wider audience, and the venue would later host many of Ten Hands' most memorable performances.
In late 1988, Earl Harvin joined the band as drummer after the Matt left to play with the New Bohemians. The band went into the studio to record Kung Fu...That's What I Like. As New Bohemians vacated Dallas for bigger and better things, Ten Hands stepped in to fill the void and began what would be a three or four year run as one of the region's most popular draws. The band won numerous Dallas Observer Awards in 1988-1989, and shortly after the release of their first live CD, The Big One Is Coming, and sold over 20,000 copies. Joe Cripps joined the band to replace Dillon on percussion.
Earl left the band to play with Mike Dillon's Billy Goat and "Big" Al Emert became drummer. Ten Hands started to tour heavily and built a large following with college audiences.
At a SXSW performance, the band was offered a record deal by an independent producer in L.A. Desperate to release an album after two years of inactivity, the band agreed and began work on Be My Guru in late 1991. While the album contained some of the band's best songs, the recording itself was a disappointment and the relationship with the label grew stormy. By the time the band left the label, much of their earlier momentum was lost.
As the band's popularity began to wane, a friend of the band, Byron Wilson, offered to produce a CD. Jazz for Jerks was recorded in early 1993 with the assistance of the band's friend and longtime collaborative producer, Dave Castell.
Steve Brand left the band in 1993. New guitarists, Chris Claridy and Chad Rueffer joined and the band wrote some new songs and continued to gig around the area. In the next incarnation, guitarist, Ed McMahon (in a strange twist of fate), and drummer Greg Beck were hired. A demo record was recorded with the brand new lineup, but the album was never mixed or released.
Ten Hands continues to play, with various lineups, several times a year in the Dallas area.
Castle On The Hill
Ten Hands Lyrics
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Gotta wonder how you sleep at night
With the front door locked
And the windows drawn up tight
In your castle up on the hill
Baby, baby, do you know what I mean
There's a great big world
That I know you've never seenFrom your castle up on the hill
You built it brick by brick
And locked yourself inside
You're sitting safe in a great big fortress
But I don't know what you're hiding from
I guess you're worried that you might find out
That you've been missing what your life is all about
While you're sitting in your castle on the hill
If you ask me
You're just a victim of your own devices
Money and security will not suffice
Go out and get a real life
Break out of the castle on the hill
The song "Castle on the Hill" by Ten Hands is a reflection on the effects of isolation and fear on an individual. The lyrics express concern for someone who has locked themselves inside their castle on the hill, shut off from the world. The singer of the song wonders how this person can sleep at night, with everything locked up tight inside their fortress. They acknowledge that this person has built their own walls, creating a false sense of safety, but also lament the fact that they've missed out on experiencing the world outside.
The lyrics suggest that this individual has locked themselves inside due to their own fears or anxieties, but it's unclear what exactly they're hiding from. The singer of the song believes that the individual is a victim of their own devices, relying on money and security to protect them, rather than venturing out into the real world. The song concludes with a call to action, urging this person to break out of their castle on the hill and experience what life has to offer.
In summary, "Castle on the Hill" is a song about the fear and isolation that can lead someone to lock themselves away from the rest of the world. It's a commentary on the negative effects of relying solely on material possessions for safety and security, and encourages listeners to break free from their own self-imposed limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta wonder how you sleep at night
I'm curious about how you manage to sleep at night
With the front door locked
Considering how you lock the front door, you might be a bit paranoid
And the windows drawn up tight
You close the windows tightly as if you're scared of something entering your castle
In your castle up on the hill
You reside in a castle that sits on top of a hill
Baby, baby, do you know what I mean
Do you really understand what I'm trying to say?
There's a great big world
There is a vast and significant world out there
That I know you've never seen
I believe you haven't seen much of it, probably due to how you live.
From your castle up on the hill
Your lifestyle in your castle up on the hill has limited exploration of the outside world
You built it brick by brick
You developed your castle from scratch, slowly but surely
And locked yourself inside
You've essentially locked yourself away from the outside world
You're sitting safe in a great big fortress
You're residing safely in a large, secure fortification
But I don't know what you're hiding from
It's unclear what you're trying to avoid or hide away from in your castle
I guess you're worried that you might find out
You probably fear realizing that you have missed out on the joys of life
That you've been missing what your life is all about
You might have missed out on discovering the true essence and meaning of life
While you're sitting in your castle on the hill
While you keep residing in your comfortable castle up on the hill
If you ask me
If you were to ask me for my opinion
You're just a victim of your own devices
Your life is being controlled by your own choices and habits
Money and security will not suffice
Just being rich and safe won't result in fulfillment or happiness
Go out and get a real life
You should step out of your castle and experience what the world has to offer
Break out of the castle on the hill
It's time to step out of your comfort zone and explore the world around you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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